Yo, minna-san. Rookie-chan desu. Eto, I really wanted to thank you all for those reviews! Hehe. Waa, this month is really harsh. After having a sem-break, our teachers flooded our desks with assignments everyday. Yaa, made me really sulk in annoyance that time, waa! But, I think somehow it's okay because when we are having our vacation, I had the time to hang-up with louie-chan and seru-chan. Nya, we really had fun at that time (especially at the samurai thing lol!). And, I decided to re-watch prince of tennis. Haha. Demo, the DVD that I borrowed from my classmate is not subbed. Poor meeeh! –grumbles- And yeah! Ryoma's birthday is coming soon. That means I am going to ready myself for writing and typing 'Chocolate Bruise'. I think I already told you about that, ne?

Waa, I already watched NANA 2, and saw Kanata Hongo a million of times! –faints- Lol! Haha. Bwahahaha. BWAHAHAHAHAHA! –fangirling mode- And I was about to watch PoT Live Action a while ago but I decided not to. Why? It is because, I am some kind of irritated that they changed Sakuno's profile. They changed her name to Shion Higaki (?) and what's worse, she's a mute. I love mommy sakunooo..

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis. If I do, I will make a million copies of it and give them to all of my friends.

"Yeah!" Kintarou responded and stood up with his completely recovered foot. Sakuno opened the door and saw two figures. The little girl peeked in and saw Kintarou. Yume was currently asking Kintarou about his foot injury. "How is it, Onigiri nii-chan?" she asked. Kintarou grinned upon hearing Yume's label to him. "Completely recovered!"

"Ryoma-kun…" she covered her mouth and spoke softly when she saw Ryoma's face. Her soft voice was enough only for Ryoma to hear. His ears were vigilant when he heard her speak his name. He eyed the youngster in front of him with a completely baffled look. "R-Ryuzaki… you called me, what?"

"Eh Sakuno nee-chan, let's go, I'm hungry!" Yume butted in and tugged Sakuno's hand, making her shift her attention towards the little naughty girl. "Let's go or I'll eat Onigiri nii-chan's head!"

"Eh?" Sakuno, Ryoma and Kintarou were all sweatdropped. The little girl is really frantic, ne?

And then, the four of them made their way at the dining room.

Ryoma-kun…

Ryoma's mind wondered in thoughts while registering her voice calling his name softly. She never called her that name 'awake' since when they met again. Why? Had she remembered him now? If she did, she should have told him earlier. But, that scene before kept on bugging his mind again and again.

"Aargh!" Ryoma covered his face with both of his hands. Yume turned around to see her onii-chan acting in that kind of matter. "Ryoma nii-chan, is there something wrong?" the little girl asked. Ryoma put his hands inside his side pockets after hearing her speak and looked back at her. "Betsuni."

The dining room was filled with such noise like jokes and everything, but it didn't catch Ryoma's attention. Instead, his cat like eyes observed the room and tried to find someone who will be able to get his interest.

"Obaa-chan, I'll help you with that." The short haired girl named Sakuno Ryuzaki spoke while entering the kitchen. Sumire smiled at her grand daughter and nodded. "It's a good thing that you offered help."

Ryoma's back arched. Will it be she again to fill his mind? Isn't she tired of running inside his mind? Why?

I should take the leash off!

"I'm going now." Ryoma stood up, walked towards the door and tilted the knob. "Oi Echizen, are you fasting?" Momoshiro asked after bragging with Eiji.

Sakuno's ears turned vigilant. Echizen-kun is not going to eat lunch?

Ryoma shook his head. "I'll be back after a few minutes." He said and exited. "I wonder what's happening on ochibi…" Kikumaru tilted his head and tucked his chin above his hand.

Sakuno sighed deeply and smiled after hearing him confirm that he's going to eat. At the opposite side was Sumire, who noticed that pleased look creeping out from Sakuno's lips.

"You're concerned, aren't you?" the old woman murmured with an amused look while chopping the pork.

Sakuno instantly blushed after hearing her grandmother's statement. "Obaa-chan!"

Sumire let out a faint laugh. "Haha! You're being obvious, Sakuno." She stated. Sakuno's heart pumped mad after hearing her once more. "Obaa-chan! That's not it!"

"Then, what's that blush all about?" Sumire teased her granddaughter extremely. Sakuno crossed her arms together and said, "Who told you that I'm blushing?" she said with a high pitched tone.

"Sakuno, I am your obaa-chan. Your father came from me." She said.

Her grandmother is right. She is her obaa-chan and it was her who guided her upon reaching her goals. Sakuno's auburn eyes focused its sight on the floor with a helpless look.

"I told you. You ARE concerned about Ryoma." Sumire cleared out after filling the bowl with flour. Sakuno walked towards the table and tucked her chin above her hand. "I can't understand myself, obaa-chan." She murmured while looking out from the window, seeing the hummingbirds fly from the plum trees.

We are already in the middle of the second day, but I don't know if I already made such improvements regarding my memory.

"Sakuno, don't worry. I can see that there's something more from this camp." Sumire said with an assured smile playing on her lips, her hands placed on her hips.

Sakuno was baffled. "There's something more?"

Sumire nodded. "And it's only you and him who have the ability to see it."

Sakuno smiled and agreed.

But who is that 'him' anyway?

"Achoo!" Ryoma sneezed after walking some distance away from the front door. He rubbed his nose with his index finger and looked behind him. "I am already fine but still, I have colds?" he murmured and walked even farther until he reached the stock room.

"I remember this stock room." Ryoma mumbled while walking around the stock room. He opened the door and went inside the old room made of wood. Ryoma walked nearer at the window that was opened, and looked above if the old bulb is still there.

Ryoma Echizen smirked when he saw the said old bulb. "It's still here." He said while touching the bulb's cold surface. A small gush of wind came from the window, which made Ryoma shiver a little bit. "And that window…" he murmured once more, while his hands trailed over the window's frame. "Sempai-tachi tended to rescue them by using this window as a path for the ball." He said with an amused smile while remembering how they tried to save Sakuno, Katsuo, Kachirou and Horio from the big bear that was actually a robber. His grin grew wider when he remembered that it was him who let them out by hitting the shade of the bulb with the tennis ball. "This stock room is not being used too much-"

Ryoma's words were cut off when he bumped into something big. "What's this?" he asked to himself and reached for the object's cover. "A bear mascot?" he blinked several times upon seeing the big furry object.

BUI!

"Momo-sempai and Eiji-sempai must have something to do about this." He said with his sweat dropping from his face.

-BRAAAM

"I-I'm hungry." Ryoma murmured while rubbing his hungry stomach. He covered the mascot and got off from the room. "I should eat now."

Lunch time is already done, which means starting from that time is a free time. Fuji observed around the room filled with enthusiastic voices- mostly from Kikumaru and Momoshiro. The smiling tennis tensai even smiled larger when he saw Kintarou reading a manga at the corner together with Sakuno, who's been playing with the two furry Himalayan cats. Fuji wondered- what is Echizen doing? Is he letting Kintarou to lose the match against him, or is he gone because he is planning of something?

"Onii-chan, what are you doing?" a small voice spoke from behind. Ryoma looked behind him and saw the always-silly and happy girl smiling behind him, hands above his shoulders. The capped lad returned to his own work and murmured, "Betsuni."

"Oi ochibiiii!" Kikumaru came jumping from behind, with Momoshiro as the back-up character. "Echizen, you're emoting?"

Ryoma jolted. What did his sempai said?

"Oi Echizen, tell me! Love hurts, ne?" Momoshiro spoke teasingly. Ryoma's eyebrows narrowed while his hands trailed behind his ears to un-plug his earphones. "Urusai…" he murmured once more while letting out a deep sigh.

"Ryoma nii-chan, let's go out with Neko nii-chan and Porcupine nii-chan!" The little girl said excitedly while tugging Ryoma's sleeve. Gosh, the little girl had such power to carry the seated lad by his arm.

Ryoma was sweat dropped, with a confused-worrying look plastered on his face. "Yume-chan, chotto matte…"

"Yume-chan is being too much enthusiastic, ne?" Momoshiro said with a relieved smile on his face. "Ryoma onii-chaaaan!" she insisted when he still doesn't stand up.

"Wait, Yume-chan…"

"Let's go-"

-BLAG

"Itai…" Ryoma mumbled while having a prone position on the floor, his white cap surfacing on his shoulder, his hair all messed up. "Waa, onii-chan!" Yume called on, the cats purring beside her.

"E-Echizen-kun!?!" a baffled, shocked, perplexed or whatever emotion Sakuno has now when she saw Ryoma's position.

Ryoma looked up and saw something like white radiant skin and pink pursed lips touched by an index finger. "Ryuzaki?" was his response upon seeing her face looking at him speechlessly.

Kintarou blinked several times when he saw Ryoma and Sakuno's position closely in front of him. He doesn't know why but it seems like his stomach is turning and his ears are turning red.

Momoshiro decided to cut off the silence and shouted, "Whoa! Things around us are going to melt! Let's go now, Kikumaru-sempai! You too, Yume-chan!"

Meow?

With their heads tilted, Riku and Karupin purred with a clueless tone upon seeing their masters.

"Hey, you two are already melting!" Kintarou said loudly and snapped between Ryoma and Sakuno's eye contact before something else happens that might scare him.

Ryoma and Sakuno blinked and stared on the floor before going back to their own businesses. Ryoma stood up and followed Momoshiro and the comrades, Sakuno continued on playing the cats with the stem that she's been holding a while ago and Kintarou, who has been holding his manga, continued on reading with his eyebrows narrowing.

Fuji smirked upon seeing how Kintarou reacted on the situation. He shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the red-haired guy.

Kintarou wondered when Fuji quickly bent down into his ear.

Fuji's turquoise eyes opened with his mouth murmuring beneath his ears.

Kintarou's eyes widened. What does he meant by that?

The wind brushed through Kintarou Tooyama's tan face.

"Never let jealousy products overcome you, Kin-chan." – Fuji

"What does he mean by that…" Kintarou's brows furrowed upon reminiscing his statement again and again.

"Kin-chan?" Sakuno wondered and looked at the guy beside her. Kintarou jolted and blinked several times before regaining his composure.

Sakuno snapped in front of him and wondered once more. "Kin-chan? Kin-chan, are you okay?" she asked with her soft, gentle voice. Kintarou shook his head and forced out a smile. "Yeah! I just thought of something!"

"Ah!"

"Sakuno-chan?"

"The cats are missing!" Sakuno beamed when the cats that she was playing a while ago had disappeared. She stood up, wore her slippers and hurried outside. "Riku-chan! Karu-chan!"

"Momo-sempai! Eiji-sempai! Yume-chan! Where are you?" Ryoma shouted out loud when his companions had already gone missing, while taking a walk through the backyard.

Such headache… Ryoma thought of while exerting a deep sigh. He looked at his wrist watch and narrowed his eyebrows. Free time is going to end soon.

The handsome lad sighed once more. What else is he going to take from the camping trip? He lit up his face and saw something on the garden.

"The cherry blossom tree…" Ryoma's eyes somehow, widened when he saw the said tree.

Ryuzaki. How long will your heart make me wait?

His hazel eyes went gloomy while trying to remember that moment. It was under the cherry blossom tree where she accidentally slept while thanking him for the support he gives to her.

"It seems like it would be a very long wait…" he said while bending his knees, trying to reach a dispersed petal from the tree. He touched the surface of the pink petal and felt it smooth texture, which he imagined to be Sakuno's white rosy cheek. Ryoma's lips formed a frown because of a certain reason.

He madly wanted to make her remember everything.

He asked himself. "Will I ever make it? I already sent her letters that might help her encourage herself. But, is encouraging her already enough?"

Ryoma's frowning lips formed a smirk. "Of course not." He said and ran off towards his room to get something.

"Riku-chan! Karupin-chan!" Sakuno kept on calling. "Sheesh, where are those cats? It's almost 3:00 PM.." she pouted, with her hands on her hips. "Riku-chan! Karupin-chaan!"

She continued on walking through the backyard, and looked at the bushes if there are any hints of the said cats. "Mou, they are not here… where did they go?" she murmured. Sakuno didn't stopped searching because of a certain reason.

"It would be much easier to find Riku-chan. But knowing that Riku-chan is with Echizen-kun's cat is not easy…" Sakuno said to herself while standing up from her kneeling position. Her closed eyes lit up, only to see…

"E-Echizen-kun!" She beamed when she saw Ryoma standing before her. Yea, speaking of the devil…

Ryoma blinked several times. It seems like she had mistaken me as a monster. "What are you doing here, Ryuzaki?"

"Eto… I do not know how to say this but…" Sakuno twiddled her fingers while looking at her left side. She looked back at Ryoma, who contemplates on her. Sakuno heaved, her hands filling in the sides of her hips. "Karupin-chan seems to be lost together with Riku-chan…"

Ryoma blinked once more. "Karupin seems to be… lost?"

Sakuno nodded.

The white capped guy gazed at her unbelievably and sighed. "Let's find them." He said steadily.

Mou… it's good that he's not angry… she exhaled while looking at his cold façade. It seems like his cool attitude isn't possible to break anymore.

"Is there something wrong?" Ryoma asked when he knew that she's been looking at his face for a moment. Sakuno almost wanted to squeal because he knew that she's looking at him. But to retain her composure, she just walked steadily and looked at her feet, with her cheeks almost blushing. "N-nothing…" she stuttered.

If ever he doesn't have the cool attitude that he have right now, he must have ran to the other side of the backyard and hide his face because of the visible spots appearing on his face. But Ryoma thinks straight-forwardly- he just let things happen and take action if necessary. But in this scene, he couldn't even move a part of his body, except of his feet and legs that makes him walk.

Sakuno stopped walking and started speaking. "I'm really sorry to bother you on your free time, Echizen-kun…" she apologized and bowed before him. Ryoma inspected her figure- seems like she hasn't changed that mannerism of apologizing.

Ryoma Echizen smirked and put a hand above her head. "Just don't apologize while bowing a couple of times, Ryuzaki." He said and continued on walking.

Sakuno wondered, her eyes blinking several times. "Echizen-kun, chotto matte!" she shouted and catches up on him. "Echizen-kun, what do you mean by that?" she asked while looking on him. Ryoma gazed steadily in front of him to avoid eye-contact, and didn't even utter a word.

"Echizen-kun?" she insisted and called on. Ryoma stopped walking and looked directly on her. "You really wanted to know, do you?" he answered back with a question and received an instant nod from her.

He smirked. "You used to be like that before."

"Before?"

"Yeah. Back then when we were-"

"SAKUNO NEE-CHAAAAN!" Yume called on from the right side of the garden. "Y-Yume-chan! Why did you called her!" Momoshiro and Eiji almost wanted to grab the kid on her shoulders. Oh how they wish they can, all because of ruining her nee-chan and nii-chan's little chat together.

"Yume-chan?" Sakuno wondered when the little girl came running by. "Are you alone?" she asked. Yume shook her head and smiled. "Yes!" she answered.

"You shouldn't teach the kid with such reckless lies…" Ryoma sighed with an unbelievable expression plastered on his face. "… sempai-tachi." He said. Momoshiro and Eiji came by with such a sheepish smile.

Sakuno gave out a gentle smile and said, "Eto Echizen-kun, I'll keep on going to find them…"

"I'll go with you," Ryoma said while grabbing her wrist. "Since Karupin is my cat after all."

Sakuno have no choice but to give out a nod. The two of them headed off and continued on searching for the cat.

Eiji grinned. "If I know, he just wanted to go with her…"

Momoshiro nodded. "Yeah. That's so Echizen."

Yume punched the air with her other hand cupping her mouth. "GAMBATTE, RYOMA NII-CHAAAAAN!" she shouted.

Everyone was like electrified. The little girl is really, hyper.

"Mou… thirty minutes had already passed but we can't see any trace of them…" Sakuno grumbled, with her hands placed on her hips.

"Meow…" a purring sound came by. Sakuno and Ryoma's face lit up smiled.

"The cats!" they said enthusiastically in unison. They ran at the place where they heard the sound- behind the bush near the group of flowers in the garden.

Ryoma quickly lifted the bush and saw the two cats playing with each other. When they saw Ryoma and Sakuno, they swiftly ran towards the flowers and played hide-and-seek with one another.

Both of them were pleased. But how come can they make them wait?

Sakuno ran over the bunch of yellow flowers and picked them up. She wiggled it in front of Riku and, "Come here, Riku-chan…"

The cat instantly wiggled its tail and tried to catch the flower. "That's it, Riku-chan…"

Ryoma kept on watching over her silently. She's too simple and she doesn't even need to make over herself to be beautiful. Being gentle is the excellent aspect of her.

"Echizen-kun!" she called on and held his hand. "Why don't you play with Karupin-chan? She might get pleased as well!" she said with a huge smile on her face.

Ryoma can't hold it but blush as much as his hormones can infest his face. A warm hand warms his whole body and it makes him shrill mentally.

"But, it is already cleaning time so-"

"Okay… I see…" Sakuno's innocent-like face somehow, went gloomy.

And it bothered his mind so much. And I'm going to repeat it. His mind was bothered because of that face.

Ryoma quickly took the flower from her hand and sat on the grass, which made Sakuno wonder. She finally understood what he did when he called Karupin and wiggled the flower.

Echizen-kun is really… kind. She thought of smiled.

"Echizen-kun!" she called on once more. When Ryoma looked in front of her, he noticed that her index finger is already pressing his face. "I got you!" Sakuno smiled cutely in front of him when she victimized him with her index finger.

He can't hold it anymore. A smile crept out of his features and his cheeks were like glowing with happiness. "Oi! That's cheating!" he suddenly said. Sakuno smiled because she didn't even believe that Ryoma will react like that. "Hey! I'm not!" she beamed with a huge smile on her face.

"Whoa! I can see superman!" Ryoma pointed the sky, which made Sakuno look up. "But superman is not real-"she reacted and faced him. But when she did, his index finger is already pressing her face. "I got you!" Ryoma copied the way how she smiled and beamed too.

"Waaa! That's cheating, Echizen-kun!" she reacted. "Oi! I'm not cheati-"

"Cheaterrrr!" She insisted and tickled his sides. Ryoma quickly withdrew and stared at her with an implausible face. "Hey, stop that!"

"No I won't!" she instantly said between her laughs. Ryoma saw how pretty she is while laughing, so he decided to go on with the flow. He quickly tickled her neck, that made Sakuno squeal. "Stop thaaaaat!"

"I don't want to!"

They are enjoying this day too much.

"Oi, you two, where did you go? You haven't even done any single task here inside!" Sumire shouted, with her hands on her hips. "It's almost 6:00 in the evening!"

"We're sorry…" Ryoma and Sakuno apologized in unison, their heads hanging low in embarrassment while hiding their wide smiles.

"Don't tell me that you had a date…" Sumire teased, her left hand covering her smiling lips. Ryoma and Sakuno's spines were like electrified after hearing the old woman's statement. "We didn't had any…" they said again in unison.

Momoshiro, Eiji and Yume started giving out giggles with each other.

Sumire heaved out a sigh. "What else can I do…" she smiled and pointed the door. "Sakuno, get the broom stick inside the basement. Ryoma, escort her." Sumire commanded.

The both of them sighed. "Hai."

"Echizen-kun, I'm sorry if I bothered you once more." Sakuno apologized and got the broom stick. Ryoma was currently standing at the door, his hand touching the light switch. "That's nothing."

"W-what's this?" Sakuno wondered when she saw a picture frame. She lifted it up and saw the back cover of the picture frame, which means Ryoma can see the picture. He was shocked when he did, so he accidentally turned off the lights.

"Echizen-kuuun!" Sakuno dropped the picture frame and hurried towards Ryoma while in the dark. When Ryoma was already snapped back into reality, he quickly turned on the lights and, TADAA!

Ryoma caught Sakuno embracing him tightly. They were both caught off-guard, with their eyes having an intense eye contact together.

Their heartbeats were stomping like mad while having the said eye-contact. It turned out to be in seconds, until...

"Sakuno! Ryoma!" Sumire called on. Sakuno got off and picked up the broomstick, while Ryoma stands up straight and tries to regain his composure.

"Hai!"

Dinner time is already done, which means they can do whatever they want. Sakuno quickly got outside of the resthouse and walked towards the previous plum tree at the backyard while inhaling the cold breeze of air.

"So refreshing…" she whispered while locking her short hair with a ribbon. She sat at the plum tree and smiled, "It's been another happy day." She said to herself with a pleasant expression covering her whole face. She scrutinized the plum tree, and there it was- there was a bunch of yellow flowers with a letter laced on it. She excitedly picked up the bouquet and carried it beneath her arms. "Another bunch of flowers from savior-kun!" she said happily with blushes on her face.

Sakuno opened the letter and read on it.

It seems like you are very happy today, ne? Did something new happened? Can you tell me what it is? Just write your reply in a new paper and then, pick up a flower and lace your letter on its stem. Leave it here and be sure that no one sees it. Remember that only the two of us knows this. Take care, sweet dreams and goodnight.

- From: Savior

Sakuno's eyes widened like dinner plates. He wanted her to write back?

"Seems like this is the new thing. Let's give it a try." Sakuno smiled with a blush, hurried inside her room and started scribbling the letters.

-KNOCK KNOCK

"Oi Momo, open the door…" Eiji kicked Momoshiro's butt to wake him up. "No, you stand up and open the door." Momoshiro lazily answered, while scratching the back of his head. "You do…" "No, you do…"

-KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Man, that's too early…" Ryoma moaned and stood up. He looked at his window and knew that it's still in the middle of the night. He walked towards the sliding door and slid it open.

"Who are you-"

"Ryoma nii-chan! Where are Porcupine nii-chan and neko nii-chan? We have a new mission!" Yume quickly spoke while cupping a huge face powder in her hands.

"In the middle of the night?" Ryoma asked with a lazy look. He instantly received a nod from Yume and sighed. "Okay…"

But why is Kikumaru-sempai here inside our room… He is supposed to be together with Oishi-sempai…

Yume tugged Ryoma's sleeve. "You will come with us!"

"Eh?!?"

Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw the Seigaku Regulars enter the dining room silently.

Tezuka, Inui, Fuji and Oishi came out and sat in their places with closed eyes because it's too early to wake up. They are followed by Kaidoh and Kawamura, who also sat on their seats.

Remaining silence came from Ryoma, Sakuno, Eiji, Momoshiro, Yume, Kintarou and Sumire.

And they can't take it anymore. They are reaching their limit.

And they did.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHA! YOU LOOK LIKE STUPID! HAHAHAHA! LOOK AT EACH OTHER! LOOOOL! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Momoshiro, Eiji and Yume burst our laughing with each other. The Regulars wondered, opened their eyes and looked at each other.

"Tezuka, since when did you have that mark on your face? You look like.. a cow..." Fuji raised an eyebrow and held his chin.

"Momoshiro. Eiji." Tezuka called on, his eyebrows narrowing.

"Hmm?"

"100 LAPS AROUND THE REST HOUSE!"

Sakuno, Kintarou and Ryoma were dumbfounded. "100 laps can kill them."

A/n: Waa! After a very long break! I already posted the 13th chapter! We had many activities last month so this will be a November-December update. Sorry guys!

To CGOMN, thanks for the review! Yeah, things will get intense soon. To dreary-chan, thanks for understanding that I am busy (that's for all too!). To Hannah-chan, thanks for the greeting! Minamoto, I also laughed while typing that part. Sarkura, thanks for the review! To heartbroken (why?) thanks for the grammar compliment. I'll keep it up. FujixSaku, be active in forums! Hehe. Neko-chan, why speechless? To animeandmangaaddict, thanks. Yeah, giving names is just like me! Wahaha. To summer-loven, I have other ideas. Hahah. Just wait. To haiezel, waa! That's so long! Keep it up! To tiang.mei.na, haba? I think that's short! Hehe. To anjyaera, thanks for addin me in your friendster acc. To saku-chan, no! Kanata is MINE! BWAHAHAHAHA! To raru-chan, waa haba review! Thanks! To jomai and eiarim, thanks for the review.

I'm kinda rushing (and it's 1:00 AM and we have glee club practice later at 8:00 AM). Wish us luck in the competition!

And please, leave a review after you read! –wink wink-

rookie-chan